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BEIRUT (AFP) – Seven Esthonian cyclists seize in Lebanon terminal period haw hit been taken discover of the country by their abductors, caretaker interior rector Ziad Baroud said on Tuesday.

"We cannot verify whether they are still in Lebanon or crossways the border," Baroud told a advise conference. "The grey and the Internal Security Forces are doing their prizewinning to reach a happy modify to this kidnapping."

Baroud said quaternary grouping had been arrested in connection with the March 23 seizure and that authorities had whatever essential leads in the case. He would not elaborate.

"I don't want to go into info that could harm the investigation," he said, adding that the abduction was understandably the work of professionals.

The seven men, all in their 30s and primeval 40s, were seize at muzzle in the orient Bekaa Valley after incoming Lebanon finished Syria.

A senior security official had previously told foetoprotein that a association of Lebanese and Syrians were involved in the abduction.

Authorities believe the Estonians haw hit been moved to Syria, crossways the porous border between the two countries.

A previously unheard of assemble terminal hebdomad claimed domain for the seizure in an e-mail message to a Lebanese website but authorities hit not genuine the claim.

The causative for the seizure is unclear.

Abductions hit been rare in Lebanon since the modify of the country's 1975-1990 civil struggle during which nearly 100 foreigners, mostly Americans and western Europeans, were kidnapped.

Two Polish tourists were seize terminal September, also in the Bekaa Valley, by members of a clan before being rescued by the army. The Bekaa is reputed for lawlessness, drug trafficking and feuding tribal clans.

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